Pleasantville Public Schools
Gloria Grantham, Ph.D. Phone (609)383-6800 Superintendent Ext. 2506
August 24, 2010
Hello Everyone:
Welcome returning staff, new staff and substitute staff. I look forward to seeing each of you on Wednesday, September 1, 2010, at 7:30 AM. We will convene at the Pleasantville High School for a continental breakfast and our first formal assembly of the school year. Joining us will be the Mayor of the city of Pleasantville, members of City Council, our school district’s Board of Education members, the city’s Chief of Police, the city’s Fire Marshall, members of the school district’s Advisory Council, members of the Clergy of Pleasantville and surrounding areas, Community leaders and special guests from the Atlantic County Superintendent’s Office and the State of New Jersey’s Department of Education as we celebrate the beginning of a promising nine-month academic tour of learning discoveries, social activities and fun-filled school days for our students, pre-kindergarten through twelfth grades.
Thanks to each of you for the time that you graciously gave this past spring and summer to plan with us for the benefit of our pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade students. Because of your support, our students, administrators, teachers, staff, and parents can expect new educational learning tools and programs that are both academically impressive for, and stimulating to, the teaching and learning process. This year, our students will participate in numerous clubs offered during the school day to enhance interest in the core curriculum. Students may choose to participate in the fine and performing arts, health and wellness activities, student leadership initiatives, sports and physical education programs, student -to -student support groups, game activities, such as chess, and other character, citizenship building activities designed to ensure school success.
We are excited about our researched- based and proven -successful administrative actions for a renewed, revised academic curriculum (including curriculum mapping K-twelfth grades to be posted on our website within the next two weeks) for four elementary schools, staffed with whom we believe to be the best candidates to meet the needs of our children’s reading, mathematics, social studies and science core curriculum subjects, as well as those subjects offered through the new themes and initiatives, such as: Fine and Performing Arts; Communications, Journalism and Media; Technology and a Project-based school.
Our Middle School plans include small learning communities that correspond with the elementary themes (vertical articulation), and a high school with a new block schedule, student development activities, a new and revised technology and professional development plan that aligns curriculum, scheduling and newly revised administrative job descriptions designed so that staff may ensure each student’s learning opportunities.
Every planning effort this past spring and summer had a singular focus: students. With your help, we will enhance student development and learning, and implement the first district-wide focus on academics for the upcoming school year. To further serve our parents and community on behalf of our children, we also have, for the first time in many years, an administrative facility where all essential Central offices and personnel reside under one roof (as opposed to five different locations within the city of Pleasantville). Further, as a safety and security initiative, guests to our high school and middle school will no longer co-mingle with students and staff for registration and related services, as there is now a “Centralized” registration located at the Middle school adjacent to the cafeteria. This “one-stop shopping” plan will accommodate registration, uniforms, health-related mandatory information (such as inoculations) and information on physical examinations, free and reduced lunch applications, and the needs of our homeless students. The transportation and facilities offices will soon relocate within their respective buildings, in order to accommodate appropriate egress and ingress for staff, parents, and guests to our high school and middle school, in particular, and to our elementary schools, in general.
We are prepared for a great school opening and an exciting and successful school year. With the help of the community, Pleasantville Public Schools will see the beginning of our high school’s transformation to the flagship status, a place from which scholars, athletes, gentleman and ladies emerge to take their places as contributing members of a healthy community.
Finally, we are reminded of our financial obligation in the present economic state of our nation and, as such, are clear about how your tax dollars will be spent. Our promise to our children and parents is that, with consideration of budgetary efficiencies, our children will come first! Every penny this district spends for the 2010-2011 school year will be spent on student learning needs. Not one penny will be spent without the thought of how it will impact the advancement in learning and citizenship for our children.
Enjoy the remaining days of your summer and lets meet on September 1st: our first day of collaboration, support, and commitment for the benefit of our children.
Sincerely,
Gloria Grantham, Ph.D.
Superintendent of Schools
